Dark Days
by LittleGreyWolfy
Summary: After generations of peace, the good days are coming to an end...and the future of Ohu promises to be a world of death, betrayal and life-shattering decisions. But, the real question is, will the mountains legendery warriors be able to survive?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Lightning flared across the sky, painting the mountains a vivid white and illuminating the shards of water that pelted all who dared to walk the lands below. A crack of thunder was quick to follow, but, somehow, it managed to roll on for twice as long as should have been possible, and sent tremors through the earth itself. Eventually its low roll faded from the laden air, bringing with it a sudden silence that was broken only by the faint hiss of angry rain upon sodden rock.

A further brilliant flash lit the scene bellow, revealing the chunks of rock that had fallen as a result of a winters-worth of severe storms. They filled a space about as wide as a small mountain village, and were so closely packed that there could no hope for whatever creatures might be trapped beneath. Or so it seemed...

An area of 'ground' shifted, dislodging the smaller pieces of stone that were seated atop the rockslide, and two bloodied paws scrabbled at the earth beyond. They found a foothold, then the space heaved again, and a shattered body hauled itself free from the space between two boulders, and flopped down upon the soaked stones. For a moment there were no further signs of movement, but then the dog hauled its forequarters from the ground, and dragged itself up the steep slope that separated it from the relative safety that was offered by higher spaces.

He was almost at the top when a flicker of movement drew his eye from his labours, and guided it up to meet with the gaze of a familiar figure. He sagged with relief, letting his forelegs bow beneath the weight of his half-crippled body, and his guard drop. "-Shi...thank God..." With a final mighty effort, the dog hauled himself to his saviour's paws, and raised his head to reach for the help that was finally within his grasp.

A scream split the night.


	2. Ominous News

_**Authors Note: **I'm afraid the next couple of chapters may be a little boring, but please bare with me - they all have their part to play._

**Chapter One – Ominous News**

"Have you found them?"

"A few...but there are so many rocks..."

There was a sigh as the grey male closed his eyes, his head bowing beneath the fresh waves of grief that the latest reports had bought him. Though the Pointer stood before him clearly had more to say, the Akita could find none of the will needed to question him further, or even look him in the eye as he awaited his leaders pleasure. Instead, he swept past the waiting messenger, and paced to the edge of the ridge which he had always used for the purposes of watching over his pack.

"The rains have been heavy, Haiiro." A sizeable Doberman rouse from where he had been lying and stepped forwards to place himself between leader and messenger. He looked between the two, blue eyes glinting with half-concealed grief, then shook his head. "It's hardly surprising there's been another accident-"

"Not an accident, sir."

The Akita turned, shock adding a threatening sharpness to his movement. For a moment there was a tense silence, and then Haiiro was stalking forwards, his fur bristling at the unspoken messages that such a simple phrase had the power to convey. He stopped just short of the pointer, but the edge to his voice made it quite clear that he was only just managing to stop himself from snarling in the unfortunate dogs face. "What are you _suggesting_?"

"It's...ah...rather sensitive, sir..." He glanced at the Doberman, his ears folding back against his head as he caught the cold glint within the blue eyes.

"Don't be a fool! Ryoushi's about as trustworthy as they get, and privy to all information, at that!"

"But..."

"He's your lieutenant, man! Speak!"

The Pointer flinched and turned his gaze to the ground, but he did not dare to risk arguing with the irritated leader in front of his narrow-eyed friend. "It's Reza, sir. He – he was killed by another dog, sir."

"_Murder?_"

"And the others?" Ryoushi growled, his eyes narrowing as he stepped across the messenger's line of sight, and blocked their leaders shocked features from his questing eyes. For a moment the Pointer was driven to silence by the intensity of the Dobermans gaze, and entertained the notion of turning tail right then and there, but he knew it was no use. Instead, he shuffled backwards, shuddering beneath the glare and franticly striving to ignore the voice that whispered at the back of his mind.

"The slide killed them..."

"But?" This was Haiiro, his voice laden with resignation at the undertones that laced his messenger's voice.

"Well...that area was stable, sir, so some of the dogs wanted to find out why the rocks fell...especially after we found Reza. They-" His eyes drifted back to the Doberman, who raised an eyebrow and snarled out his frustration at the delays. "Found scratches and signs of digging at the source."

Silence.

"Sir...the patrol were the only ones..."

"I'm aware of that." Brown eyes flashed in the winter light as the Akita turned back to his vantage point, and settled into a stiff-legged analysis of the dogs that moved below. "This suggests there is traitor in our midst."

"Yes, sir...but...the only survivors were Ashi and Ryoushi, sir, which means ones of them..." The words tumbled from the Pointer's jaws so rapidly that it seemed he must choke upon them, but for all this, they could not come fast or powerfully enough to prevent the enraged snarl that was to slice the end from his speech.

"Ryoushi would never do such a thing!"

"No, but-"

"He's proven himself time and again! He's a better soldier than"

"I think he merely meant to point out the _possibility_, Haiiro." The doberman murmured, his soothing tones easily quieting the Akita's rash speech, and rolling a calmer edge across the dogs tensed shoulders. As if sensing that he now had the floor, Ryoushi strolled back to his usual perch and settled there, cross-pawed and shrewd-eyed, before flashing the hapless Pointer a cold smile. "All of Ohu shares the sentiment, right, kid?"

The messenger stared at him, his short fur prickling beneath the steady blue gaze that drove into him even after he had been driven to look away. For a moment he held his silence, his mind occupied by the truth of the lieutenant's words – the knowledge that no one would ever suspect him of such treachery. Even he couldn't really bring himself to believe it...but then...

"What about Ashi? Surely he can't be..."

"I doubt it." Ryoushi again, his soothing tones now brisk, dismissive, as if he were dealing with a particularly dull pup, and had just about lost his patience with the need for slow explanations.

"Ashi doesn't seem the type." Haiiro half turned to face his subordinates, though his troubled eyes were so distant that it seemed unlikely he was really aware of their positions. "Besides, Reza was a big, experienced male. A dog like Ashi wouldn't be _able_ to kill him."

"Too true." The Doberman tilted his head so that he looked towards the mountains, which were already falling to the deep shadows of short winter days, and allowed a concerned frown to slip across his hardened features. As he expected, the steady, meaningful stare soon directed the other gazes to their unprotected valleys, and began to plant the seed of an idea within their denying minds. Eventually, satisfied that leader and messenger had begun to grasp and accept what had not yet been said, Ryoushi turned back and leant towards them both, then lowered his voice to the taught tones of one whom half-suspected that they were being watched at that very moment. "This means, my friends, that there are enemies in our mountains."


	3. Ohu's Tiger

The rain was drumming down again, its accumulative weight promising more of the mudslides that had been made all too frequent by the regular storms. The sheer density of the rains had painted the world a threatening grey, and it was this, as much as the threat of another storm, that kept the dogs of Ohu within the relative warmth of their dens.

But not all of the soldiers could be said to be so intelligent as the rest. One, a thick-set Collie, had found a perch atop the rocks that their leader haunted, and seemed oblivious to the rains that glued his long fur to his skin. He gazed out over the valley for some time before turning his eyes towards the mountains, which he subjected to an even more intense scrutiny than he had the lands below.

"It's official. You're insane."

He flicked an ear back, hoping that the newcomer had not noticed the sharp twitch that had flashed through his body at the unexpected speech. Then, when he thought enough time had passed, he carefully turned to face the hulking form of the Doberman, who looked none-too-pleased to be out in the rain. "We're going to loose another one," He muttered, ignoring the other dogs comment as easily as if it had not been said. Then, with his concerns finally voiced, he casually padded back to the den from which his subordinate had come.

"Don't be an idiot," Ryoushi growled, even as he turned to follow the older dog. "No patrols are out tonight." This was said as he stepped into the relative warmth of their leaders den, and immediately captured the attention of the other dogs, several of whom had already begun to tease the Collie about the state of his fur. The reference to patrols, however, bought an instant silence to their friendly mockery.

"Patrols will always be in on nights like this." The level voice sounded from deeper within the den, and seemed to draw a slightly relieved air around the other dogs. In the hush that followed, Haiiro quietly padded into the main segment of his den, his general demeanour indicating that they should keep their voices low from here on out. "We've already lost two since Reza's...death...and I won't see any more slain by ambush.

"Wise choice, leader."

"Hmm...but not everyone is safe." This was the Collie, his careful speech accompanied by an equally careful gaze, which showed no signs of lifting from the Akita's face. "Two dogs from my unit have been out for three days now." His eyes narrowed and he settled into a reedier position, indicating trouble to come if he were not given an adequate explanation, and quickly, at that. "My own sons, in fact."

"Peace, Chi." The Akita had taken a seat by now, but his discomfort was clear for all the dogs to see. And it made them nervous. "As long as they follow orders, they'll be safe."

"Then they're safe. No one follows orders quite like your boys." Ryoushi's off-hand remark bought a tremor of half-amused laughter from the other Lieutenants, and even Chi could not help but let a small smile slip onto his maw. With that the situation seemed to be diffused, for the Collie finally broke his stare and let his head sink to his outstretched paws. However, an edge to his gaze hinted that he still wasn't quite done, and he soon proved the fact by murmuring, with interest and not accusation, "What've you got them into this time, Haiiro?"

"I've sent them to collect a...friend." He paused, finding his gaze drawn to the deeper shadows that hung just below the roof of his den, and his fur prickling at the growing intensity of his dogs stares as their minds began to leap upon the unspoken name. "With all that's been going on, I thought it best to call in a favour...and your boys seemed the best dogs for the job..."

"Haiiro, please don't say –"

"Hey, boss!" Ryoushi's speech was neatly cut in half as the call broke across their ears, and all eyes were instantly drawn to the dens gloomy entrance. There they were met with the half-drowned body of a lean black Collie that regarded them all with worried, half-guilty eyes.

"What the – you're not meant to be travelling at night!" The Collie flinched at his leaders bark, and the guilty edge to his stance wrapped itself all the more firmly about his drenched frame. But the Akita had spoken thus almost entirely out of surprise, and now he was shaking that surprise off, and throwing another, gentler order at the young soldier. "Get the hell in here, you morons."

Relief flared within the dark eyes as the Collie caught the edge of mocking-humour – adopted from Ryoushi – that was wrapped around his leaders words, and he abruptly called out to the darkness, then stepped into the shelter of the cave. Resisting the urge to shake off the water that clung to his coat (and aware that such wouldn't be well received by the elders), he carefully padded to one side to make space for his companions.

Soon, a second, larger Collie emerged from the darkness, his own features even more shrouded in guilt than his brothers, and made way for the vaguely feminine body that stalked in behind him. This last dog paused to curl her lip at the rain that pummelled the outside world, then vigorously shook the water from her black fur, before turning a distinctly irritated gaze to the now-wet elders that watched them.

"Ehh...sorry, sirs." This was the lighter Collie, his eyes gleaming with a vague edge of fear as the elder dogs growled their displeasure to the world. "She's a bit impatient. Wouldn't wait the rain out."

"She shouldn't _be_ here." Ryoushi snarled, his short fur bristling as he stepped, stiff-legged, towards the stripped female. She merely blinked at him, gave a toothy smile, and then pointedly ignored him – all of which served to escalate his rage to a point that was near-unbearable. Indeed, had it not been for the presence of so many other dogs, it was quite possible that he might have snapped right then and there.

"What's the meaning of this, Haiiro?" The casual tones had fled from Chi's voice, though he showed little of the outward aggression that was so clear in his peer's bodies, and a faint sense of amusement at the female's quiet refusal to be ruffled by their glares.

"The attacks have grown bolder – there's no telling who they might target next." The Akita grumbled, though he now looked just as guilty as the young Collies had been when first they stepped into his den. "Our pups need to be protected, and who better than her?"

"Are you _mad_? You'd-"

"I've done you no wrong."

"Oh, _no._ But your _kin-_"

"Are no kin of _mine_." The stripped head tilted a little way towards the Doberman, and she fixed him with eyes which, whilst cold, left no doubt as to the sincerity of her words. "I'd thought that'd been made clear by my choice to leave them. Besides, I've had plenty of opportunities to harm your dogs, and never once taken them."

"Exactly. However you might feel about this, Ryoushi, she is the best for the job, and it's not like I'll be letting her wonder around alone." Haiiro was now sat with his muzzle tucked in against his chest, and his body held the tenseness of one ready to step in at the slightest sign of trouble.

"Still no trust then, Akita." The yellow eyes were met with a cool gaze, but seemed even less concerned about the sustained eye-contact than they had been about the Dobermans clear hostility. "Why, then, have you called me back?"

"It's time you paid your debt, Meitora."


	4. The Guards

Unsurprisingly, the exchange was ended with her banishment from the relative warmth of Haiiro's den, and instalment in a cramped space a little ways from the pack. This, she knew, was perfectly placed so that the leader and all his officers could watch her through the night, which meant that she had plenty of reasons to complain about it. If she felt like it. However, when she was first shown her new 'home', she was far too distracted to care about such trivial matters, and barely even remembered to grumble a 'well? Get lost then.' before she coiled herself upon the hard floor.

Unfortunately, matters were rather different for the disgruntled retriever mix who was sent to fetch her in the morning, and became the target for the long stream of complaints and curses that rolled from her mouth as she hauled herself out of the cramped space. These, she felt, were justified, for her muscles were stiff and aching from the cold, wet, travel and awkward sleeping position, no one really wanted her there anyway, and she was about to become a babysitter. But the other dog didn't seem to see things this way, and now she was being given the silent treatment by someone who, she perceived, might just have made an interesting companion. If circumstances had been different.

Fortunately, the silence provided her with the perfect opportunity to get her first good look at life in Ohu, so she didn't really miss the talk as much as other dogs may have done. Instead, she filled the walk with a careful, half-curious observation of the dogs and activity that surrounded her, and quietly tried to work out and understand the various relationships her eyes were catching. Already she thought she might be able to pick the superiors from the subordinates, if only because of their carriage, and she even entertained the vague notion that it wouldn't be so hard to figure out the hierarchy of the officers themselves. The old collie, for instance, seemed to be at the top...

"Bitch! Keep up!"

Yellow eyes flashed as they were turned to the cross-breed, then narrowed as they met his arrogant, irritated stare. Though she knew that others were watching, this was not something she could ignore, so she lifted her tail into a high arch and stepped forwards until she was nearly nose-to-nose with her guide. "From here," she murmured, using a low, silky voice, "I could slash your throat before you knew what was happening, and perhaps have a leg, too." Her eyes glinted again, and she flashed him a toothy smile. "A few steps behind, and I could have your hinds – if I wanted."

His jaws were open now, gapping around words that would not come.

The female turned and paced a little way back from him, then smiled again as she caught the relief, and disbelief, that flickered across his features. She was suddenly little different from any other female, though perhaps a little larger, but there was a look to her eye that told the world that she was quite willing to carry out her threat, if given a good enough reason. Of course, the mix was already wondering if she _could_ do such things – until she coaxed the stripes into life with a subtle shifting of muscles, and said: "You _know_ what I am, kid. You _know_ what my kin can do; why I was sent to the mountains."

He shuddered and turned away, trying to hide his defeat, his humiliation, even his fear, from the curious eyes by carrying himself taller than ever, and adding an authoritative growl to his voice when he spoke again. "Just…keep up. You're here to do a job, right."

She gave a low growl, but said no more.

The rest of their walk was passed in silence, but Meitora had quickened her pace, despite her irritation, and they soon reached their destination. It was a sheltered hollow in the land; small and beautiful in its own way, with the shallow stream that rolled past its edge, and the delicate patterning of light and shadow that was dappled across the ground. However, the females gaze was immediately drawn to the lean figure sitting by the water, then, by a movement, to the far larger shape watching from the hollows slope.

She curled her lip at the pair, but had barely had time to part her jaws before more figures caught her eye. And these were even less welcome, particularly when they saw her and surged forwards as a noisy, clumsy-pawed horde. She barred her teeth at them, and the dog behind her growled, but even so the tiny wretches were soon surrounding her, and scrambling over each other in their effort to approach, and retreat, near simultaneously. Then the questions began, and the snarl burst from her throat.

Several things happened then; the pups scrambled backwards in one baying mass, the retriever mix charged for her side, the lean shape darted from the stream, the large leapt at her flanks. The result was a chaotic tangle of snarls and snaps, but it was all over almost as quickly as it had occurred, and Meitora, with her confidence and fearsome reputation, was the obvious looser. That she had moved fast enough to avoid injury did not matter, for she had been knocked from her paws by the three-sided attack, and learnt a very definite, and important, lesson. Don't snarl at Ohu's future.

"That," she snapped, as she regained her paws and backed from the still-bristling trio, "was unnecessary." Her eyes leapt from face to face, but whilst the retriever mix curled his lips and snarled in answer, the other two offered no further signs of aggression. Instead, the leaner figure – a greyhound – quietly turned back to his post by the water, whilst the other, some combination of husky and Alsatian, fixed her with a cool stare that was full of some silent warning. Then he, too, returned to his post, leaving the female with her 'guide'.

"What was that about taking my throat, and my legs?" He said as soon as they were settled, and he was sure the pups were still out of range. "You couldn't wound a rabbit, let alone _me._ God knows what use _you'll_ be."

She barred her teeth again, was just about to-

"Leave it."

It was the other cross-breed, and for some reason she found herself restraining her lingering anger as that calm voice washed over the hollow. To her surprise, the retriever mix did the same and, though he gave a contemptuous snort, he soon padded to a spot opposite the smaller, apparently superior male. Unfortunately, his gaze did not leave her flanks, and now that she was looking, she could see that the other crossbreed was also watching her from the corner of his eye.

With that, she realised that they were not here to guard the pups from external dangers, but from _her_. She growled at this further sign of the packs mistrust and wondered why they'd bothered to call for her at all, but she knew she couldn't back out now. She had a debt to pay, which meant she had to remain here, with these infernal hounds, and play babysitter to their idiotic brood. The meant she had only one viable method of rebelling; fling herself down as far away from the other dogs as possible, and make sure that they knew to keep the hell away from her.

She did exactly that, but, somehow, the message wasn't understood.

She couldn't have been lying there for all that long before her attention was drawn by the approach of soft paws, and her narrow-eyed vision was disrupted by a set of thin legs. She growled at their owner almost immediately, but, instead of moving on, he quietly sat down a little way from her, and regarded her with the typically soft eyes of all his breed. In the end, she gave up on the snarl, and resorted to words: "What?"

He blinked at her, and suddenly the brown was filled with a silent apology, then turned to the ground. "I've not seen a Kai-Ken before," he murmured, and his voice was soft – softer than she'd expected from a dog who'd attacked with such sudden ferocity.

"Not many have," she snapped.

"But the whole pack speaks of-"

"They've a long memory. Ohu _never_ _forgets_."

There was a pause, and it was filled with the female's rapid, bitter thoughts, and the greyhounds quiet, considering hum. Then his gaze was raising again, this time fastening itself on a point a little above her ear, so that she couldn't draw some non-existent challenge from his eyes.

"I'm Ashi, and he," the fawn muzzle turned towards the husky-Alsatian cross, "is Taka. I think the three of us are on pup duty for the rest of the season." He frowned then, and his eyes narrowed, just a little, as he looked towards the retriever mix. "I think we're being punished for something…"

"Punished?" She gave a thin, humourless laugh. "When you walk in my prints, _everything's_ a punishment."


	5. Tremours

And yet, it hadn't been that bad. She'd been amongst the pack for a good few weeks now, and most of their number had made a point of avoiding her from the day she'd stepped out of the mountains. Those who hadn't had rapidly learnt to leave her be, and even the pups rarely got too close now, despite their apparent stupidity. Better still, it had quickly become clear that the retriever mix wasn't to be a regular companion, but rather one of several dogs who had been set on some sort of rota – and most of these dogs were pretty bearable, if not the sort she'd want to associate with.

When it came down to it, her only real problems with this new lifestyle was the cramped den she was confined to when the pups were amongst the pack, and the monotony of spending most of each day trailing behind the youths, or curled at the edge of some nursery or other. Fortunately, even these were not so great as they might have been, for she was used to living rough, and Ashi had insisted on striking up some flimsy kind of friendship, and speaking with her at least a few times each day.

But today, the greyhound wasn't with them. His post had been filled by a pointer who hadn't so much as looked her way, and she found herself missing the familiar fawn shape who had so often broken into her 'solitude'. She'd even contemplated asking where he was, but the third dog – a figure she recognised from that first night – was staring at her with such hostility that she couldn't bring herself to speak to any of them.

So she was silent, and she felt the boredom of that day far more sharply than any that had come before. Worse, she found herself watching the little hairballs that had been thrust into her 'care', and suddenly realised that some of their number were already all too easily recognised. In some cases this was no surprise – there was the dark Koga-dog and pale retriever, for example; both notable for being the only pups of their breed – but in others it made little sense, for why should individuals stick out from such a mass?

Regardless, she was all too relieved when the day finally came to an end, and the pups had been gathered back into the neater band that was used for these short journeys between nursery and dens. It meant that she could trail along at the back of them and look ahead to the more interesting sights that flittered past her own shelter, or perhaps even find some explanation for Ashi's absence. Even better, it meant she would soon get some peace from the noise of the packs youth, and that was a peace that seemed to get sweeter with the passing of every day.

Unfortunately, she didn't have it yet. Ahead of her, the pups were making just as much noise as ever, and that cream retriever was only just walking fast enough to keep ahead of her long strides. This was the norm, but today, without the greyhounds chatter to distract her, she was noticing far more details – such as the boasts that were rising out of the crowd, and the side-long looks the cream pup would send her as he walked. The latter detail was one that she found far more annoying, and interesting, than the other, and her own eyes were soon set to the task of catching him in the act of looking her way, so that she could break him from that habit, or else teach him not to get caught again. However, when those eyes _did_ turn back to her, she found the words freeze upon her tongue, for the pup met her gaze with a look that was far more thoughtful than was the norm for one of his age.

"If you have nothing to hide, then why not tell us where you _were_?"

Her attention snapped to the nearby pack as she caught these words, and all thoughts of the pup were abruptly forgotten. The group had arrived back in the main camp, and even she, stuck as she was at the back, could easily see that something big had occurred.

"I told you! I was in the mountains, on patrol!" It was Ashi's voice, but it held a tone she'd never heard before. The softness had been shattered by a quality that was all too high – the rising agitation of desperation.

"And you were alone!"

She pushed her way forwards, ignoring the growls from the other dogs, and froze as her eyes fell upon the scene. The greyhound was trapped within a glowering, suspicious ring, and he had lost all of the sleek pride that normally wrapped his frame. He was very nearly cowering, and clearly exhausted from some run or other, but the vigour with which he shook his head made it quite clear that he wasn't about to give in.

"No! I was with the Lieutenant! But we had to split up, there was a scent-"

"The Lieutenant is dead, Ashi! You're one of the only dogs we couldn't account for – the only one missing at the time of every accident!"

"I…no. No, there must be others-"

"Two others, to be precise." A sudden silence fell across the crowd, and they parted before the approach of the newcomers – three dogs that were easily recognisable as the most senior of the pack. The speaker, a dark-furred collie, cast a stern gaze across the pack before addressing them again: "We cannot lay the blame on one whilst the evidence points in so many directions, and neither can we call this treachery, when so many signs suggest an external threat."

"But be assured," This time the Akita spoke, and his voice held the bitterly cold edge of one who had already discarded the assumption, even hope, that the killers were strangers, "these three dogs will be watched day and night, and no one will set out without two other dogs at his back."

"Aye." Ryoushi, the officer that had had the most to say about Meitora's sudden 'recruitment', and who never quite seemed to shake the calm, cold edge from his voice. "No dog should travel alone now. Ohu must remind the world of its numbers, and its strength."

But a murmur had already rippled through the crowd, for many had begun to suspect the presence of a traitor, and these words, calm as they were, seemed only to confirm their fears.


	6. Shadows

A powerful shape picked his way over the stones, his blue eyes fastened on the lone figure stood above him. The other dog was looking out across the lands and had his back to the slopes that the Doberman was now climbing, making him an easy, near irresistible target for any whom might wish him harm. Even now, the soldier was thinking of how little effort it might take to leap from the rocks to the commander's back, and to drive a deadly bite into the undefended flesh before he had time to react. It was a concerning, all-consuming thought, and one that already had him frowning as he stepped up onto the level ground before the den, and measured the distance between them.

"You should take greater care, Chi."

He was gratified to see the dark muzzle swing towards him, but his frown merely deepened as he caught the snarl that was etched onto his superiors powerful jaws. Fortunately, the collie did not leap upon him before he had time to identify his newest companion, and the snarl was gone almost as soon as it had arrived. "Our enemy might have-"

"I'm not so easy a target as _that_, Ryoushi." There was such pride in his voice that the Doberman couldn't help but feel a surge of respect for him, even though he suspected the older dog was already well past his prime. Still, he seemed to take some comfort from the fact that the fighting spirit was far from gone, and that the close presence of so many other dogs must surely deter their mystery killer.

"Why do you even think me in danger?"

Ryoushi blinked, surprise briefly lighting his eyes as he met the shrewd gaze. "Our top Lieutenants have been killed. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"It tells me that someone seeks to weaken Ohu," the collie was gazing over the pack again, but the sadder quality in his brown eyes was suddenly overwhelmed by a hard, cold light. "Or that one of our own seeks a higher rank."

"Oh?" The Doberman stepped a little closer, "What brings you to that?"

"Lieutenants have been killed directly, all others are taken by 'accidents', and no strike has been aimed at me, or Haiiro. If the aim were to weaken us, then why has our enemy failed to attack the top?"

"Fear, perhaps?"

"If he were afraid, what force could drive him to attack any soldier of Ohu?" The collie was looking him in the eye now, and, hardened as he was, Ryoushi could hardly bare to hold the gaze of such a dog. In the end he had no choice but to drop his gaze – an action he instantly regretted, for a curiously suspicious light suddenly glinted within the brown eyes. Clearly, he had guessed that the Doberman was trying to hide something – something it would be all too easy for such an experienced dog to pluck from even the most heavily guarded of eyes.

"It is you I fear for, Ryoushi." Chi's voice had suddenly softened, and an upwards glance revealed the almost fatherly concern, and understanding, that had swept across the aging features. The Doberman narrowed his eyes.

"Why? I'm just as capable as you, or any other dog – have I not proved it yet?"

"Of course. But _you_ are the top Lieutenant, and the dogs directly below you are now dead, as you said." Something flickered within the Dobermans gaze, and the collie stepped closer, his sympathy growing all the clearer. At that moment Ryoushi knew that he had seen the glint in his eye, and identified it as the subtle hint of fear. "That would suggest you as the next target, and I fear Ohu's strength – Haiiro's strength – would be shattered with your loss."

There was another flicker within the blue, but now the Lieutenant was smiling, and holding his head with a pride that the collie was clearly pleased to see. "It's an honour to be thought of so highly by one such as you, but I think you underestimate our leader. He's not one to be beaten by something so trivial as a fighters death."

"Perhaps, but-" his voice suddenly faltered, and, as a frown stole across his features, his eyes fastened themselves on some point behind Ryoushi. The change was abrupt and concerning enough to make the Doberman spin, and soon he was frowning too, and only just managing to keep himself from baring his teeth.

There, on the slopes, was a dark figure he had already come to hate – not because of any wrong done to him, but because of what she _represented_. However, he was forced to relax when he saw the crossbreed that was walking at her side, for he knew this dog to be a high ranking soldier, and could sense the change his presence had bought over Chi. He, at least, seemed more comfortable with the knowledge that she had come with an escort, although his own words suggested that this made little difference to the threat she posed.

Regardless, they both knew why the pair had come, and had no option but to let them pass without a word.

When Taka and Meitora entered the den they were greeted, not by words, but by the sight of Ohu's leader as he paced from wall to wall. His agitation was clear, and so great that he didn't notice either dog until the cross, his face creased with worry, dared to step beyond the accepted point for those whom had not yet been greeted. The moment he did, Haiiro rounded upon him with a snarl and flash of teeth, only to take a few weary steps back barely a heartbeat latter.

"You took your time." He growled, and his gaze flickered between the pair so rapidly that it seemed he was unwilling to lift his gaze from either. Then his eyes cleared, and he relaxed, again becoming the laid-back leader that Taka had known throughout his life. "But you're here now, at least."

"Why do you call now, Akita?" Taka flinched at this address and the cold gaze with which his companion regarded the leader, but there had been no real malice within her tone – merely the impatience of one who disliked another, and knew it was mutual. Apparently Haiiro knew it too; he returned the cold gaze, but did nothing that might be taken as a rise to some unspoken challenge.

"To ensure you remember your duty, Meitora," she growled at the name, "and are ready. You may soon be called into service – and you too, Taka."

"Sir?" This time it was the Alsatian cross who spoke, and did so so fast that the female didn't have time to spit the retort he had seen upon her lips.

"My sons. And the other pups." The latter was almost an afterthought, and Meitora growled again, her eyes narrowing as she latched upon that small, distinct pause. "If something goes wrong, you must make sure they reach Meitora, and she has time to get them away. I hold you to this, Taka – I name it your priority."

"Sir?" Now he spoke through confusion rather than some desire to keep his companion silent, though her growls made it clear that her next words probably wouldn't be favourable, or even polite.

"It's simple, man! She's sworn to take my sons into the mountains if the danger gets too great. To bring them back when the danger's passed."

"No."

The males paused, words freezing on both their lips as they turned towards the glowering Kai-Ken. Haiiro's eyes were suddenly dangerously narrow, and his lips had coiled away from his teeth, finally unleashing the first signs of that challenge he had been holding back since the dog had been called into his pack. "No?"

"No. I am not sworn to take your sons. I am sworn to take Ohu's pups – as many as I can."

A hiss passed the barred teeth as he squared up to her, but she neither flinched nor dropped her gaze. Instead, she drew herself to her full height, finally dropping the smaller, quietly threatening, yet partly submissive, stance she normally held.

"Arashi and Obutsu must be your priority, bitch. They are my sons, my heirs, the last of Gin's line."

"Why should I care, Akita? They are no more important than any other dog of this pack."

"They are Ohu's leaders! My place is their birthright, their rule is essential!"

"Other dogs can lead Ohu." She was bristling now, and the pair were dangerously close to erupting into a fight, but Taka was suddenly stood at her side again, and the look that he gave her was so desperate, so clear, that she couldn't help but step down a little. She hated herself for doing it, but she had grown to like the solemn dog, and couldn't bring herself to start a fight that she knew he would join. Particularly since she knew he wouldn't fight on her side. "If your sons reach me, I will take them, Akita. But I will not risk others for their sakes."

Haiiro gave another snarl, but he was not a stupid dog, and he could see all too clearly that even a fight would fail to change her mind. So he did the only other thing he could; turn to Taka, the loyal guard. "Make sure my pups reach her. Make sure she doesn't leave them behind."

The Alsatian-husky mix had no choice but to agree, and he did so with a mute nod, though his features had suddenly darkened and fallen under a thick shield. They remained such as the pair left the den and made their way back towards the cramped space that had become Meitora's home, but had lightened beneath a thoughtful edge by the time they reached the bottom of the stony slopes. A little later, he took the opportunity offered by a space clear of dogs and paused, turning abruptly to his still glowering companion.

"Meitora-"

"Mei," she snapped, and he was startled by the bitterness, and the pain, that flowed through the word. He was confused, too, for he had never known a dog to show such anger at the use of their own name, or to reject any part of the label given them by their own.

"Why have you sworn yourself to this task? You clearly have no love for Ohu, or any dog who walks among us."

"If it'll pay my debt, and free me of him, then I'll do it." She swung her head back towards the den, and there was such anger in her eyes that he could be in doubt about who she now spoke of. Better still, the earlier exchange now made a little more sense, for he was one of many who knew of the day she had first come into Ohu's mountains, and been given permission to dwell within the safety of their territory.

"Do you think it will come to that? Do you think Ohu too weak to defend our own?"

The look she gave him was long and measured; he could see the uncertainty as clearly as the sunlight that beat down upon their surroundings. He could see, too, that she had some hope that she wouldn't have to take charge of the pups, and perhaps even wanted to defend the packs strength. But in the end she answered him with a shrug, and turned her gaze towards the pack, and the mountains beyond. Her answer was simple: 'These are dark days. Who knows what the future holds?'


End file.
